MaKenzie Briere, MS, MSEd, BCBA, LABA, has worked for The New England Center for Children’s (NECC) Intensive Treatment Team (ITT) since 2015, serving in a number of roles, including her current position as program specialist for ITT Apartment 4.
Alexander Aspuru has worked as a level 2 teacher at NECC since August 2021. He was nominated for Staff Spotlight because “He always has a positive demeanor on shift, interacts wonderfully with students, and is a great role model when it comes to following NECC and team guidelines.”
Sarah LaPierre currently serves as a teacher at NECC’s Michael F. Downey Center for Child Development, but she initially joined NECC as a teacher in the residential programs in 2017. She was nominated by her colleagues because her love for children shines through in everything she does.
Samantha Young, MS, has worked in The New England Center for Children’s (NECC) Partner Program for three years. She was nominated by her colleagues because “she is one of the hardest working individuals I have ever met."
Though Jayne Colantonio, MSEd, BCBA, found her way to The New England Center for Children (NECC) somewhat by accident, she has stayed for nearly a decade. Colantonio, a senior education coordinator in NECC’s Intensive Instruction Program (IIP), was nominated because “she has been an amazing boss and a great mentor.”
Tom Freeman, a residential coordinator for The New England Center for Children’s (NECC) Intensive Treatment Team (ITT), has worked for NECC for two years. He was nominated by a colleague because he “always puts the boys' and the team's best interests first."
Lauren Rae, a day coordinator for The New England Center for Children’s (NECC) Intensive Treatment Team (ITT), has worked for NECC for six years. She was nominated by a colleague because she is “an extremely effective and compassionate supervisor."
NECC is dedicated to promoting research that helps further the field of autism education. Teachers and researchers work alongside one another on research projects, often as part of NECC’s graduate school program partnerships.
During a December 5 school committee meeting, officials from the special education department in the Westfield Public Schools shared an update on how the staffing shortage has created challenges for the district in delivering special education services, and how the ACE® ABA Software System has helped assuage them.
Carley Woolcott, a day coordinator for NECC’s ITT Apartment 2, was nominated for Staff Spotlight by a colleague because “she is a “phenomenal leader” and “has great rapport with EVERY student on the team.”
